Dionysus – Greek God of Grape Harvests

God of Wine and Festivity from Greek Mythology

“Hi Rohan!” a chirpy voice greeted Rohan when he entered his room after his dinner.

“Tonight I will tell about another Greek God, Dionysus. Would you like to listen to his story?” asked Sir Dig-A-Lot.

Rohan answered, “I would love to!”

Sir Dig-A-Lot began, “Dionysus was the God of grape harvests. He was worshipped by Mycenean Greeks and in Crete, the island that we talked about the other day.

He holds a fennel staff tipped with a pine cone which is known as the Thyrsus. The Thyrsus could convert rock into water and water into wine.

He was also known as Bacchus, by the Romans. He represents a certain kind of freedom for his followers so the way to worship him, according to the Romans, was to dance to loud music or crashing cymbals.

In Greek mythology, he is the son of the God Zeus and the mortal Semele which makes him semi divine and also the only God to have a mortal mother. Some historians also say that he is fully divine, having been born of Zeus and Persephone.”

“You remember the story I told you about Theseus and Ariadne, how he left her at an island?”

Rohan answered, “Yes. While he was coming back to his home.”

Sir Dig-A-Lot said, “That’s right! It is also believed that Theseus left Ariadne on that island because Dionysus fell in love with her. It is believed that he also married Ariadne after he found her abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos.”

Rohan said, “So are we talking about more Greek Gods in our next meeting because I still want to listen more.”

Sir Dig-A-Lot laughed and said, “We sure will, but now you must rest your eyes and sleep tight.”

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